insights into the world of caffeinated monkeys
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| javamonkey insights into the world of caffeinated monkeys |
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Saturday, February 13, 2010 My New Favorite Thing Soup has been on my brain lately, and I've been making this soup just about once a week, because it is the bomb-diggity. Faux Italian Wedding Soup You'll need: several tablespoons of olive oil 1 onion (not red) 2 shallots several cloves of garlic--I use about 4, because I like garlic dried parsley dried basil dried oregano cayenne pepper salt crushed red pepper flakes dried rosemary veggie stock or veggie stock base rind from a hunk of parmesan (or part of the hunk, if the rind is missing) 8 ounces orzo pasta 5-6 ounces of fresh spinach (those pre-washed salad mix bags are just the right size for this) To make soup: Scratch your head and wonder why there are no meatballs and no chicken in this soup, then remember that Jaime's roommate is vegetarian. Also, Jaime is a dirty hippie so all of the above ingredients would probably be organic and fair trade and hippie-approved (or at least from Penzey's if we're talking spices). So, break out your big stockpot, and pour in enough glugs of olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan, and set it on the burner to warm. Meanwhile, mince your garlic and shallots and onions--if you're Jaime, by the time you reach the onion, you've said the hell with mincing, and are just dicing. The shallots and garlic will kind of melt into the soup if minced; the onion won't, and it may be nice to have a few bits of onion around for bite. Dump all of that into your pan with the oil and toss it around; let it all hang out and sweat for a bit. Whatever you do--don't burn the garlic! You won't be able to get that taste out of the soup if you do, but if things get a bit caramelized, that's cool. Once your onions and shallots and garlic are translucent, add your spices. This part is entirely to your taste, and is approximate, because I just stand there and dump stuff into the pot without measuring. I add a good bit of parsley--several tablespoons, and probably at least a tablespoon of basil. I also add a pinch of oregano and rosemary--don't want these to overwhelm the soup, but want them to be present. I add a good smattering of cayenne and red pepper flakes--I use both because I like the heat, and I like that little boost that you get when you hit a pepper flake. If you're using a bland stock, add some salt--if unsure, wait and you can add salt at the end. Give this a stir to introduce everyone in the pot. Add approximately 8 cups of veggie stock or 8 cups of water and appropriate stock base to your pot. Toss in your parmesan rind and give it a good stir, then bring it to the boil. While you're waiting, rinse your spinach and give it a pat down to dry; run your knife through the leaves to take them into more manageable size pieces for soup. Once your soup is boiling, add your orzo, and cook it for about 7 minutes, or until the box says it will be al dente. Once the time is up, turn off the heat, throw in the spinach and stir. The spinach will wilt in the hot soup, and help to cool it off so you can devour it. Out of that big stockpot, my roommate generally can snag a bowl or two--I'll eat this for days, it's so damn good. And it's not greasy, like Italian Wedding Soup can sometimes get. posted by jaime | 7:07 PM 0 comments |
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